The Darlin' Diner (USUK)
by whyiseverygoodnametakenhuh
Summary: The first time Arthur stepped into the small town diner Alfred paid little attention to him. Luckily, this man seemed to enjoy the tea and came the next day at a more peaceful time and that's where the story really begins. Mainly USUK. Set in the late 1970's.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

Prologue:  
The first time the young man stepped into the small town diner Alfred paid little attention to him. Oh course, why would he? It was the middle of the lunch hour and the eatery was full to the brim. In between serving the yelling toddlers and impatient guests Alfred stopped to fill up a cup of tea for a surprisingly calm green-eyed gentlemen but that was the extent of their interactions on the first day. Luckily, this man seemed to enjoy the tea and came the next day at a more peaceful time and that's where the story really begins.

Chapter 1:  
"Good morning sir, what would you like today?" slowly shifted to a joking "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that you would like one Earl Grey with milk and sugar on the side," to a more relaxed "Hey, your usual will be out soon," as the weeks seemed to flow by.

It took a while but Alfred eventually unknowingly memorized the newfound regular's routine. The young Englishman (or so Alfred assumed the man was English from his strikingly thick accent) would normally arrive at 9:25 every morning with either a novel or a stack of newspapers. Majority of the times the former would be present. The dirty blonde would go ahead and read what he had brought for a little over 2 hours as he orders drink after drink. On about the eighth cup the Brit would pack up his stuff and go back home on his way.

Yet every once in a while there would be a minor discrepancy in this routine. The Brit might arrive a few minutes late or his regular green shirt or pullover would be replaced with a bold red or yellow. Alfred found himself trying to predict what the next slight discrepancy might be in his free time at the start of the day. He found it entertaining to try and guess extremely unlikely and random ideas.

_"Maybe he will wear a thick pair of Harry Potter style glasses today. Huh, wouldn't that be something! Or perhaps he will have a cheesy romance novel ready to read instead of the usual mystery. Or maybe he will have plucked his thick eyebrows to the point of being ladylike!"_ Alfred considered while busting some of the tables. He couldn't help but start laughing about the idea of the Englishman having thin and feminine eyebrows.

By the time the Brit arrived only about ten customers had entered and left the diner which gave Alfred a little insight that today would be a long and slow day.

_"But perhaps there is some way I might be able to pass the time and have a little fun."_ he considered as he watched the regular customer sit down and he felt a genuine smile creep up on his face.

_"But maybe I shouldn't bother him... I wouldn't want him to stop coming here. It would really suck if I scare him off trying over the fact that I couldn't go thirty minutes without someone to talk too."_ He considered. But eventually threw the worrisome thought out and just decided to do what he does best, winging it. He grabbed a cup of joe for himself and the tea and sat in the seat directly in front of the Englishman trying to make his actions seem normal.

"We are gonna have a slow day today, I can just feel it. Is it alright if I sit here so I can have some company?" Alfred asked the man.

Slightly shocked by the sudden change in habit the Brit stared at the waiter for a few seconds and looked around in the diner. For the first time he realized just how empty the place really was; including the two of them the diner had about four people in it. It was outright shocking how much of a change it was compared to other days when you could barely fit your foot in the eatery without being trampled on. He looked back at the American who was eagerly waiting for a reply with an expression that reminded him a lot of a puppy begging for a treat.

"Of course, I don't mind at all," he reached out to shake hands with the man and then continued to speak, "I take that your name is Alfred from your nametag. I'm Arthur Kirkland; it is a pleasure to finally introduce myself."

"Arthur Kirkland huh? Dang, that just rolls off the tongue don't it? I'm stuck with Alfred Jones which isn't as pleasant to the ear." He replied with a quick wink and a smile so large that it was a miracle his face didn't crack right open. "So," he continued, " I know we just introduced ourselves and this might be a little rude to ask so quickly but it has been on my mind for a while. What brings a guy like you here of all places? You seem educated enough to realize that we don't have a lot to offer people here. I mean, we are good folks but we aren't like the big cities that everyone flocks to. I just can't seem to figure out why you would move from the other side of the world to a small town like this in the middle of nowhere."

"Well... This isn't so much of a permanent home for me as it is an extended holiday. Well, if you still work on holidays that is. I just needed a long break from my regular life after..." Arthur paused to think of the proper words to use in this situation without giving too much away. "After an incident that occurred. I decided to take two years off and I'm not really sure how but I just seemed to arrive here of all places."

Alfred took the hint and decided to not pick at Arthur's old wounds. They continued to talk about many topics over the course of the next few hours.

Arthur told him about his career as a freelance author and about what England was like and Alfred found himself extremely attracted to the idea of sightseeing the country. He started to feel the need to see the different places Arthur described to him. Hyde Park seemed to call out his name; the London Eye seemed like a national amusement ride; even the history of the Canterbury Cathedral seemed like a murder mystery straight out of the pages of a story.

In return Alfred informed Arthur all about the town and what it had to offer.

"Now we don't have a lot of people here ever since they built that big city about twenty miles south of here but the people who stayed are the sweetest you will ever meet. A lot of the shops around here don't have signs so you can't always tell what they will be just by looking on the outside." He explained as he pulled out a paper and started to draw Arthur a map of most of the shops and what they have to offer. For the most part Arthur half-listened to what his guide told him but kept a mental note of a handful of buildings that seemed interesting.

"Now, I'm good friends with most people in this town so if you do something stupid you can just mention my name and they likely forgive you. If they don't you can just call me over and I'll swoop in and save you like a hero!" The American said while posing in a way that he found heroic. Arthur gave a slight chuckle at Alfred's whimsical ways and stated that he would keep the offer in mind.

Alfred left the table a few times to refill their drinks and serve the extremely small handful of customers he had and tried to rush back to talk some more with Arthur. Despite finding the guy slightly annoying at times, Arthur couldn't help but appreciate the company of his new friend. For some reason he was having a difficult time making friends ever since he moved and the idea that he now had someone to speak to and look out for made him feel warm. He watched the waiter take the order of an elderly couple that just arrived in the diner. To Arthur's surprise the old woman stood up and pulled Alfred in tight yet quick embrace and gave him an even quicker peck on the cheek. Alfred smiled and ran into the kitchen and brought out their meals as well as a cupcake.

"Why did she kiss you? Are they related to you?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Well, they're my neighbors. It's their 47th anniversary today. I wished them a happy anniversary and told them that I made them a cake. Of course, it's only a cupcake but they didn't seem upset. They both have a bunch of food allergies so it was hard to find a flavor that they would both enjoy but in the end I went with coconut which they both seem to love. She just got really excited about my small gift to them so she gave me a quick thank-you kiss." He said with a smile on his face while he watched the couple eat and enjoy their food.

After watching them for a while the peace was interrupted as a whole horde of students entered the diner. Their ages ranged from five to seventeen which indicated that the school day just ended. Arthur looked at his watch and felt slightly panicked.

"Crap! It's already 5:00 in the afternoon! I really have to leave! Damn it, I told them I would have the rough draft done by 9:00! I only have four more hours to work on it!" He yelled while he rushed to pack up all his stuff and pay the bill.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow right Mr. Arthur Kirkland?" Alfred asked while Arthur turned to hide his slight blush from the mention of his full name. Somehow it sounded so much nicer when the American said it.

"Yes. I will come back tomorrow." He replied quickly as he darted out of the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:  
Arthur couldn't help but be upset. He kept his promise and came to the diner without his book because he expected the waiter to keep him company. He expected to talk and laugh like he did the day before. He expected to see Alfred look back at him and smile like he did jus the day before. Arthur walked for the full fifteen minutes it took to get to the diner with his expectations held high and a plan. But once he got to the restaurant his smile started to shatter. The usual friendly American was nowhere to be seen.

Instead a tall and frankly terrifying man who Arthur had only seen once or twice around the diner took his order.

"Alfred isn't here today. I am Berwald. Here is your drink." The man stated and didn't say another word until Arthur finished and left the diner twenty minutes later.

_"The decency of that man! How dare he plan a meeting with me and cancel like that on me! I bet that was his plan all along. Make me feel comfortable and then rip me down."_ he thought. Arthur started to work himself up and a furious fit but the rest of the thought was interrupted by a familiar yell.

"Hey Matthew! MATTHEW! Have you seem my chainsaw anywhere?" A loud voice from nearby barn started to yell. Arthur didn't even have to see him to know that Alfred was the source of the sounds.

_"I'll give that jerk a piece of my mind for standing me up!"_ Arthur encouraged himself as he started to walk towards the barn. Surprisingly, not even for a spilt second did it occur that scolding a chainsaw welding man would not be in his best interest.

"Matthew! Matthew are you even listening to me? Where is my chainsaw? Matthew! If you don't help me find this chainsaw I wouldn't be able to help you with your little project! Then it would have been a waste of a day off for the both of us." Alfred continued to scream.

"Nevermind! I found it!" Was the last thing he said before a large revving started up and drowned out all other words. The sound of the metal machine stopped Arthur from getting any closer to Alfred. A man who strikingly similar to Alfred came running into the barn and started to talk in a hushed voice. Arthur assumed that no one would be able to understand what he was saying even without the chainsaw in the background

"A-Alfred please put that down! We n-need to make the plans and get the wood before we use any of the equipment." He pleaded and the chainsaw started to die down.

"But it is so much fun to hold a machine like that in your hands!" Alfred as placed the machine back down and started to walk towards Matthew. Or at the very least, Arthur assumed that this must have been him.

_"No, don't get sidetracked! You need to keep in mind why are upset at him! You need to remember that he stood you up like that!"_ Arthur reminded himself in an attempt to keep his blood boiling long enough to yell at Alfred like he had planned. He looked back at the two men who were still arguing.

"I should go back to the diner; I can't stay here and help all day! I promised someone that I would see him today and now he is gonna be intensely pissed off. God, I don't think he will ever forgive me for standing him up like this!" The American whined.

"N-no! You promised you would build a bookshelf with me. Gilbert has been telling me that I need to be more assertive when I really want something. I let you take a rain check on this thing three times already so will you please just help me get it done?" Matthew asked politely. After Alfred agreed half-heartedly, Matthew seemed to notice Arthur out of the corner of his eye.

"Alfred, it would seem you have a guest." He stated and left to go and get some wood for their project. Alfred looked at the Englishman and his whole face started to glow.

"Arthur! What are you doing here? Oh well that doesn't really matter." He smiled as he ran to Arthur.

"What am I doing here? I don't know, didn't we plan to meet today?" He grumbled in an angry manner.

"Oh man. I'm really sorry about that and I know that there isn't much that I can do to fix it but I had to help my brother with something. I tried to get out of it but he pulled me back and I just couldn't say no. I promised I would help him make a bookshelf which I thought would only take about an hour but it looks like it might take all day at the pace we are going at." Alfred said. And just like that *poof* all the anger that Arthur had drifted away. Instead of giving Alfred a piece of his mind he felt a little ashamed at himself for thinking such awful things about Alfred.

"I-it's okay. I forgive you just this once so you don't have to do anythi-"

"Don't say that! I did something wrong and I appreciate that you forgive me but I feel as if I have to do something to right this wrong. Besides, isn't that what heroes do when they make a mistake? They try and go fix it?"

"Well, I guess so but-"

"Then it's settled! The next time you need something I will be right on it. Deal?" He asked, spit on his own hand and reached it forward for a handshake. Arthur looked at the wet hand with disgust.

"Alfred, I know what you are trying to get me to do and I appreciate the offer but I will have to respectful decline. I am not spitting on my hand and shaking it with yours."

"Deal?"

"No, Alfred that is disgustingly unhygienic and frankly it is-"

"Deeeeal?"

"God damn it! Are you even listening to what I am saying? I'm not going to shake your wet and slimy ha-"

"DEEEEAL?"

"FINE!" Arthur yelled back as he spit in his own hand and shook Alfred's. When he let go Alfred had such a large grin on his face that Arthur could feel his own cheeks start to turn red. The American was filled with so much joy; seeing him smile just once could make anyone wish to see it again. In a lame attempt to hide his blush Arthur looked at his watch are tried to focus on something other then Alfred. Something like the time.

_"11:00. I still have a few hours."_ Arthur thought to himself. He looked back up to see that Alfred was staring right back at him and Arthur found himself looking at his watch for a second time for the same reason as before.

"Ha, did you forget the time already? I do that a lot and Gilbert teases me about it. Cause I'll look at my watch, look up, forget the time, and look right back down again. He just seems to find it hilarious so it makes me feel a little better that someone else does that too. He grinned. Arthur had neither the heart nor the balls to tell Alfred why he looked down the second time so he just lied and agreed with him.

"Gilbert?" He asked curiously.

"Oh yeah, you haven't met him yet. He is a pretty cool dude. He's started dating my brother, Matthew, around the same time he got kicked out of his house so now he just lives in the main house with Matthew. You know, he's a bartender at this place down the street." Alfred started but Arthur started to tune him out to think about what he said earlier.

_"He is dating his brother huh.. I guess that would mean that they are a gay couple.. That's a little strange. Well, not strange as in a bad way it's just that I've never seen a gay couple before. Alfred seemed to be fairly relaxed about it."_ He thought. The last line raced through his head a free times as a hopeful smile appeared on his face and his heart started to beat a little faster than normal. But he forced himself to push away and lingering ideas as he tuned back in to what Alfred had to say.

"You haven't really meet Matthew either now did you? I think the two of you would really get along. Just sit here and he will be back in a minute." Alfred said as he pointed to an old chair that stood at the front of a gray fold-up table. The table sat there covered in papers and drawings of different bookshelves.

As if right on cue Matthew stepped back into the barn. He placed the handful of wood that he could carry back on the ground and sat at the table next to the other two men.

Quietly he stated, "P-pardon me, I don't think we have been introduced. My name is Matthew, it is a pleasure to meet you." Arthur could feel it in his bones that he would get along wonderfully with this man.

"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine. I am Arthur Kirkland." He smiled back. Matthew's eyes grew wider and looked at the man in front of him with disbelief.

"The Arthur Kirkland? As in t-the author?" He asked excitingly.

"The one and only."

"I-I would have never expected to meet you. I am a big fan of your work. I own a small bookstore just down the street. E-everytime we get a shipment of one of your new books I finish them before we even put them on the shelves!" Matthew squeaked in a hushed voice.

"Wow, I feel honored to know that you enjoy my stories so much. I am so shocked that my work has spread all the way to here! I'm working on a few different stories at the moment but my new publishing company seems to disapprove of everything that I write. But knowing that I have some fans will cheer me on to write something even better than before!" He smiled back at the Canadian. The two of them talked for what seemed like too short for the amount of time that had passed. When Matthew finally looked at the time he was shocked.

"I must apologize but I really need to finish this project. It seems like all the planning is done so I'm gonna go and get Gilbert so we can make my bookcase." Matthew said and ran out of the barn.

Alfred looked at Arthur and smiled. "So? Was I right? Did you two get along great or what!"

"I suppose you were right. Your brother is a real treat to talk to." Arthur laughed back.

"Yeah, he is a wonderful guy. I'm happy that he found someone to look out for him. Ever since Gilbert moved in he has been more cheerful and more noticable. It used to be a huge problem for him but I'm really glad that he has someone." Alfred replied.

For a while neither one of them talked. It was silence. But not an awkward or bad silence; it was a peaceful one. As if the two of them enjoyed each others company to the point where words were not needed to be spoken. Of course, the quiet ended.

"I really am sorry." Alfred grumbled.

"Pardon?"

"I really am sorry. I wish there was someway I could take back that I stood you up today. Have you thought of a way that I can make it up to you?" He explained.

Arthur thought to himself until a brilliant idea popped in mind.

"I've got it! I've got a way that you can "right your wrongs" as you say. But first, I have two questions." Arthur said.

"Well? What are the questions?"

"One, will you be free tomorrow night? Two, how well do you handle your alcohol?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"A Pub Crawl!"

"A what?" The American asked trying to comprehend what exactly they were going to do.

"Oh dear god! Don't tell me you have never gone out with some of your mates and had a pub crawl? Basically what you do is hop from bar to bar and drink yourself silly."Arthur tried to explain.

"Now why in the right mind would I do that? Why can't we just go to one bar and sit down and have a good time like sensible and regular people do?"

"You're missing the point! It'll be a great deal of fun, just trust me on this one. The only problem is that there are only three pubs in this town so it won't have the full impact that it would normally have. Normally I would visit about five or six pubs in one night but three is better than none!" The Brit stated. He did his best to look calm and collected on the outside but it was quite obvious that on the inside he was as happy as a child opening presents on Christmas Day.

Alfred wanted to say no and refuse the offer. He just couldn't understand why someone wouldn't just stay in one place and have a good time there. He wanted to state that he still had work tomorrow morning and it would be wrong to drink on a workday or give some other half-assed excuse as to why he cannot go. But the anticipation glowed strongly in Arthur's bright eyes. The man who rarely ever smiled was grinning from ear to ear and Alfred soon realized how he greedily wanted to see more of this expression.

"Okay fine, I guess I will go. Besides how bad can it possibly be?"

"Wonderful! Then I will come back here at 9 o'clock and we can leave for the pub crawl!" Arthur stated as he walked home to get ready.

* * *

So off the two men went to the first bar. It was a quiet, quaint, and small place where all the regular customers were well into their late sixties and over.

"What can I get you two gents?" The bartender asked as both men approached the server.

"Two gins for me and.." Arthur said and looked over to his guest.

Alfred has a personal rule about not mixing drinks. Under no circumstances would he mix alcoholic beverages mostly because they did more damage than anything else he could order. So, whatever he picked here was the drink he would have the whole night.

"And a large bourbon for he." Alfred finished. He couldn't help but be a little concerned for his own well-being, more specifically his liver. Alfred always prided himself as being one who could hold his alcohol but that was only in moderate drinking; not heavy bingeing. He could control himself with a handful of drinks but if the night kept going at the pace it then he would either blackout or lose control within the course of two hours. And if Arthur was half as good as he claimed to be then he would outlast Alfred by the gallon.

Luckily for Alfred, Arthur was far less than half as good as he stated he would be. Within three and a half gins his started to talk slower and more slurred. Within five gins the man started to ramble and stumble over himself lightly just around the time he started to get bored with the quiet pub.

"All right! N-now we're going to go to stop two! Go pub crawl!" Arthur yelled as he tried to pull Alfred out of his seat and ended up using him for support so he wouldn't fall over.

"Are you sure you should do that? You already seem to have drunk a little over whatever limit is yours. Do you really think it would be a good idea to go out and drink some mor-" He started but was interrupted by the Arthur.

"AM I SURE? ARE YOU SURE YOU SHOULD BE QUESTIONING ME ABOUT THIS? FOR GOD'S BLEEDING SAKE, I'M ENGLISH! ALL OF MY ANCESTORS WERE DRINKERS SO I KNOW FUCKING WELL WHEN TO QUIT! PUB CRAWL!" He yelled.

_"Looks like he is in "anger drunk mode". It'll pass soon but it would probably be best to leave no."_ Alfred thought. He looked at the bartender who signaled him that it was about time they leave the pub or else they would be kicked out permanent..

"Okay! Lets get going! The sooner the better!" Alfred replied as he pulled Arthur outside in an attempt to keep the collateral damage done inside of the pub to a minimum.

The second pub couldn't have been more different from the first one. It was really more of a club and less of a pub. Alfred might have even enjoyed himself a lot if he wasn't consistently worrying for Arthur's well-being.

"God, there is no way he can drink as much as he did before and not get sick. Not to mention I also need to take a little break or else I won't be able to keep an eye on that drunk idiot." Alfred thought to himself.

"There must be something I can do now to make the hangover that he's gonna have tomorrow morning a little calmer..." He continued when a good and slightly wrong idea popped in mind. He looked over at Arthur.

"Hey, is it cool if I buy the drinks at this place? It will be my treat as a token of thanks for introducing me to pub crawls." He offered.

"Sure thing! Get me a beer!" The Brit slurred back as he ran to the dance floor.

"Well, at least he is back to being a happy drunk for now." He thought as he approached the all too familiar bartender.

"Hey the awesome you! Can you help me out with something?" Alfred grinned and the Prussian grinned back.

"Alfred my man! What brings you to my awesome club?" Gilbert asked.

"Just here with a friend. The only problem is that he is drinking a bit too much and I'm a little worried for him. Can you get me some sort of nonalcoholic beer that doesn't taste like total crap for him and some water in about three or four vodka glasses for myself? I really don't want to go drunk on this guy and scare him away." He explained.

"Ah! So you like him huh? You don't want to scare him away; you wanna get closer!" He teased.

"What? No! It's not like that... Well maybe it kind of is... Anyways, you know what I mean!" Alfred yelled back with a strong blush laying promptly on his face.

"Ha! Okay, I'll quit teasing for now but I'll make fun of you once I get home because that is the awesome thing to do. I do understand what you mean because last time was pretty scary. Matthew had nightmares for a week and kept on waking me up in the middle of the night. So yeah, I can help." He replied and started to get the drinks Alfred ordered.

Arthur came over right around when the drinks were served. Alfred took a few "shots" of "vodka" and Arthur drank the beer.

"Dear god this is one of the most disgusting things I have ever tasted! Remind me to never let you order beer with you ever again; next time I'll order and show you what is good! You Americans wouldn't know good beer if it bit you on the arse! The piss-water you have here doesn't even began to lift a finger compared to true British brewed beer! Now that is what people with good taste find wonderful unlike this piece of shit you got me!" He started to complain but still drank the beer. Alfred felt relieved that the man was too intoxicated to read the words NONALCOHOLIC BEER written in bold on the front of the bottle. He decided that ignorance would be bliss in this particular situation and allowed Arthur to continue complaining about the beverage.

"Really? I think it is pretty good. If it is so bad why are you still drinking it?" He joked.

"Do you think I'm a wanking idiot? I don't care how bad the beer is if you got if for me. I'm going to drink this whole damn thing because it would be a waste to throw away a free beer, even if it tastes worse then dog piss." He babbled back and Alfred started to laugh. There was something about the mix of sarcasm and cynicism in the way Arthur talked that made Alfred hang on to every last word he said. And with the accent he had almost everything the man could complain about became more than slightly arousing. He listened to the Englishman complain about every little thing wrong with America as a country yet he felt no anger towards the man. If anything the words had the opposite effect on him.

"Not only do you drive on the wrong bleeding side of the road but you also dare to put one of the best dairy based foods in the world into an aerosol can! Why would anyone eat spray cheese over real cheese? Just the idea of it would make anyone sick!" He complained as he started to slowly but surely sober up just a tad. Well, not completely but his words weren't as slurred as before.

"And another thing! Why can't you people seem to get the idea of the metric system? It is far simpler than the overly complicated and outdated system you use now!"

"Well, we don't really use it because it makes sense. It's just that the switch to a new system will be too sudden for everyone who hasn't gotten used to the metric system."

"You're talking bollocks! Now that's just one of the most moronic reasons I have ever heard!" He continued to complain not realize the stares that Alfred was giving him.

After almost two hours of nitpicking about American culture, Arthur got tired of the club and they made their way to the next pub.

"Now which one are we going to?" Alfred asked in an attempt to make small talk while they walked.

"The one next to the diner." Arthur grinned. He looked up to Alfred expecting to see the familiar smile looking right back at him but it couldn't be found. Instead there was a large frown and a borderline worried look on the man's face. Alfred stopped walking and looked at Arthur directly.

"No. I'm not going there by any means; sorry to cut our pub crawl short. It was fun but it seems like it is about time to come of an end. Good night." He said as he turned to walk home but Arthur grabbed his hand to stop him from leaving. Alfred tried to pull away lightly and was surprised to find that he couldn't escape from the grip.

"W-what? Why? What did I do wrong? I was so certain that you were having a good time! I know I have been a cock lately by pushing you to do this but I honestly thought that you also liked it... Was I wrong? Have you been having a bad time tonight with me?" Arthur asked with large puppy-dog eyes.

"No! It's not like that at all; I really have enjoyed tonight. I just... I can't go inside of that bar. Not only because I don't want to go in but mainly because I got kicked out. I'm banned from entering it for life because of something that happened about two weeks ago. I was going through a hard day and I got really wasted and wasn't able to control myself. Long story short, I went all out on everyone there. It isn't one of my proudest moments." Alfred explained in a hushed and slightly embarrassed voice. Arthur could tell that this was a sensitive topic and felt a little joyful that Alfred was willing to share it with him.

"I see. Well it is like you said earlier, how bad could it possibly be? We can just go in and if they kick us out we can go back to one of the earlier pubs and drink some more!" He offered and after some negotiating and support he finally got Alfred to agree.

They walked into the pub and realized that it was a mix of the nicer parts of both pervious bars. It was lively yet not complete anarchy and was still quaint but not a total snore. The bartender recognized Alfred and put a very strict restriction on his alcohol orders but didn't kick him out.

"Hey Arthur, I'm gonna go to the bathroom really quick but I don't want you to blackout tonight so do not order any extra drinks while I'm gone for two to three minutes okay?" Alfred loosely commanded.

"Okay." Arthur lied. As soon as Alfred was out of sight he ran to the bartender.

"Get me the strongest thing you can make in under a minute." He yelled and gulped down the small mystery fruit drink that was given to him. He managed to chug down two more and hide the glasses before Alfred came back.

"Sorry, there was a line. Can you believe that? A line at the men's bathroom! I've never even heard of such thing!" He joked but quickly realized that something was off about Arthur. If course, it didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what happened. Arthur replied with a handful of mumbles with a few understandable words sprinkled in.

"Goddamn it Arthur! You didn't listen to what I said!" He scolded but quickly forgave Arthur. He then spent the rest of the time trying to figure out what the drunk was babbling on about. After about half an hour the Cuban manager noticed Alfred and kicked both of the men out.

Alfred tried to talk to Arthur but by this point in the night he had practically turned into a forgetful baby. He cried and pouted and whined and cried some more.

"Do you want me to carry you to your home? You can't seem to stand or walk without falling down and it is less than half an hour away." Alfred asked although he already picked up the man in his arms and was well on his way to the house.

"I-I-I don't know where my bleeding keys are! I put them in my pockets but I can't find my pockets!" He started to worry and Alfred soon saw that there was no way this man would be safe without someone to help him.

"It's okay, don't worry! You can stay at my house for the night. I have a big spare bed and I can most likely find a change a clothes that might fit you. I'll get you all fixed up so don't worry about a thing." He smiled at the man who was in his arms as he turned to go to his own home.

Alfred's house wasn't much of a house but more of an oversized shack. It wasn't bad per say but compared to the other houses on the property it was a lame duck. Against all odds, Alfred managed to open the locked door without having to drop Arthur and held him up until he got to the extra bedroom upstairs.

"Now, I don't think I have anything from now that might fit you but I found shirt from when I was in High School that won't be as baggy on you." He smiled as he pulled a CLASS OF 1983 shirt on the Englishman as well as a pair of sweatpants.

Alfred stood by Arthur's side until the Brit fell asleep, which only took a matter of minutes. He then started to prepare for tomorrow.

"I'll start-up some hangover home remedies because he really isn't going to be happy in the morning and I'll write a quick note for him so he doesn't freak out when he wakes up." He thought to himself. After everything was fine and dandy, Alfred went to his bedroom and fell asleep.

AN: This has been my favorite chapter so far and I really hope everyone enjoyed reading it! It is going to take a little bit longer for the next chapter to come out because I have been having some problems with my computer. Hopefully it will be fixed soon!


End file.
